I know that while weight training one person might progress farther or faster than another do to their DNA. Is this the same for stretching? Can the stretch of a persons muscles be limited? I'm not talking about extremes but what's necessary for a Martial Art. Have a nice day, Mark
To a degree, yes. A lot though is due to other enviromental conditions during early years of development.
Also some people are incapable of doing a full split, a smaller number can't reach even 150 degree stretches side to side. This is mostly due to muscle problems in the hips and legs. The myth that if you can have one foot planted, and the other straight out to the side, that you can do a full split is not quite realistic either. That position puts you in a 135 degree stretch. Here is a short article on stretching limitations with some good resources. http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/dfrankl/pe150flx.htm
